10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2024

The trees lining the harbours can contain anything from House Sparrow (yes, they are still here!), My award-winning picture of a Feral Pigeon was of course taken in Rotterdam. These harbours have their population of Mute Swan , Mallard and Black-headed , Herring , Lesser Black-backed and Mew Gull. The birds are very approachable.

Feral 246

Feral Transported Blackbirds Canada 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2011

Feral Muscovy Ducks seem to attract many of those epithets. Not only are the individual ducks hard to look at, but in groups, the feral populations create the same messes other masses of waterfowl do. The word manky means many things in British parlance from dirty and disgusting to inferior and worthless.

Ducks 235

Ducks 2011 Deer Costa Rica 235

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2012

Great Crested Grebe – 3 Little Grebe – 10 Black-necked Grebe – 5 Cormorant – 76 Grey Heron – 2 Mute Swan – 48 Greylag Goose – 48 Bar-headed Goose – 1 (escape/feral) Canada Goose – 18 Egyptian Goose – 1 Mallard – 88 Gadwall – 492 Pintail – 3 Shoveler – 21 Teal – (..)

Germany 226

Germany Birds Ducks Feral 226

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

That means grassy fields are loaded with sparrows, hummocks are filled with wood-warblers, and wetlands teem with waterfowl. Ditto for the feral Muscovy Ducks , though they are a bit less nice. These birders enjoyed the field trip to Daytona Beach for the amazing gulls back in January. Find at least one life bird.

2015 241

2015 Wildlife Florida Honduras 241

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2023

And of course, there is a large number of Rock Doves (feral), particularly near one particular mosque. Legend has it that anyone who kills one of these pigeons will go blind – for once, a superstition I highly appreciate and which I wish we could expand to all other bird species as well.

Afghanistan 231

Afghanistan Birds Feral Zoos 231

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2014

It isn’t a very promising park, to be sure – it’s loaded with art, and everyone knows that birds hate art, or maybe they hate the feral cats that live under the art (probably the latter.) So when I noticed that Socrates Sculpture Park had never had a single eBird checklist submitted, I decided to fix that.

Feral Cats 175

Feral Cats Wisconsin Feral Cats 175

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2013

I wish for a federal law prohibiting domestic and feral cats from roaming free outdoors. That more rehab centers would accept non-natives, like pigeons house sparrows, and starlings,” wrote Charis in Oregon. Change in Law. That’s easy!” wrote Veronica in California. “I Change in Government Attitude.

Wildlife 255

Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Oklahoma Michigan 255

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2016

Feral Pigeon – Columba livia dom. House Sparrow – Passer domesticus. Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus. Eurasian Sparrowhawk – Accipiter nisus. Common Buzzard – Buteo buteo. Eurasian Coot – Fulica atra. Black-headed Gull – Chroicocephalus ridibundus. Pallid Swift – Apus pallidus.

Bears 271

Bears Greece Europe Slovenia 271

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

You may notice a few non-commital “sp” entries and/or a few domestic/feral/hybrid forms. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus). Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum). Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina). Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla).

2020 168

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2018

Invited by the welcoming shade of an old plane tree, I sat in a corner café, enjoying the sound of water trickling down the small fountain and attracting House Sparrows and Feral Pigeons to come and drink, while waiting for a friend to join me. And the day was tropical. No, no, they do not serve beer.

Bosnia 189

Bosnia Croatia Herzegovina Slovenia 189

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2017

Feral Pigeon – Columba livia. House Sparrow – Passer domesticus. Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus. Black-headed Gull – Chroicocephalus ridibundus. Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis. Whiskered Tern – Chlidonias hybrida. Common Tern – Sterna hirundo.

Serbia 155

Serbia Breeding Woodpeckers Feral 155

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Walking along a dirt track next to a prairie, my friend and I were on the look-out for different sparrow species when a large bird suddenly darted into the clearing. Car collisions, feral cats, and run-ins with hunters also cause problems, even for this speed-racer.

New Mexico 106

New Mexico Mexico Coyotes Feral Cats 106

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

Every March, hope springs anew that I’ll cross paths with one of these feral fluffballs, but as April ends, so do another year’s delirious dreams. I’ve been chasing Northern Saw-whet Owls , those adorable little predators, for years now.

2011 201

2011 Deer Owls New York 201

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Feral geese run the gamut from pure white to almost entirely gray or brown. Like manky mallards, ganky geese display remarkable variety due to both the methodical manipulations of breeders and the variable volatility of the more natural kind of breeding.

Geese 145

Geese 2011 Deer New York 145

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Feral Pigeon – Columba livia. House Sparrow – Passer domesticus. Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus. Common Gull – Larus canus. Herring Gull – Larus argentatus. Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis. Caspian Gull – Larus cachinnans. Common Woodpigeon – Columba palumbus.

Owls 122

Owls Greece Serbia Woodpeckers 122

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

They range from the successful eradication of feral cats from Marion Island (hear that, Corey?) Both trips combined, I was away for 22 days, my longest birding trip ever.

South Africa 255

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 255

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2019

But come spring, an even luckier few may even find a fellow survivor of their own kind with whom to start a family, unwittingly causing contentious debates among birders about the countability of established feral populations in the process.

North America 113

North America Vermont America Farmed Animals 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2018

After a quick run to the coast where I picked up a bunch of new year birds (and saw a Feral Pigeon on my way for my first bird of the year ) I headed to Crocheron Park where the tanager, I presumed, was the sole survivor of the original winter rarity trio of Yellow-breasted Chat , Wilson’s Warbler , Western Tanager. Western Tanager !

Ducks 106

Ducks Litter Feral 2017 106

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

House Sparrow – Passer domesticus. Northern Gray-headed Sparrow – Passer griseus. Eurasian Tree Sparrow – Passer montanus. Black-striped Sparrow – Arremonops conirostris. Field Sparrow – Spizella pusilla. Black-throated Sparrow – Amphispiza bilineata. 03 Dec 2019.

2019 226

2019 Chile Texas Sanctuary 226

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

In addition to the White-crowned Pigeons there were White-winged Doves that were more tame than anywhere I had ever seen them, Zenaida Doves , and feral Rock Pigeons. ” It figures that we would stay in only one of three places in the entire country where there are House Sparrows.

Jamaica 222

Jamaica Mongoose Dominica Pelicans 222

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The other day, Minneapolis, Minnesota passed a feral cat ordinance. So I put together a “carnival” (of sorts) of Feral Cat Ordinances and Issues that samples current events across the US. From the Star Tribune : Feral cats win a round at Minneapolis City Hall. This got me wondering what other cities were doing.

Feral Cats 252

Feral Cats Feral Cats Minneapolis 252

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2022

Over the next few days, I found increasing numbers, goldfinches, juncos, white-throated sparrows. I was shocked when I found the first body, a female Towhee. I hoped it was an anomaly. Were they always there and I just never noticed?

New York City 264

New York City Illinois Science Killing 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2024

I got myself 4 lifers ( Least Flycatcher , Eastern Bluebird , Field Sparrow, and Indigo Bunting ) before a downpour ended the excursion. The hotel had been arranged so little choice there (see below in case you do have a choice) but a quick look showed a sizable park nearby: Shelby Bottoms (snigger). Don’t rush home.

Nashville 207

Nashville Birds Unwanted Kenya 207

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2014

Feral Pigeon Columba livia f. House Sparrow Passer domesticus : Fournes, Provence, France, 1 Jan. Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus : Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Provence, France, 2 Jan. Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis : Camargue, Provence, France, 1 Jan. domestica : Fournes, Provence, France, 1 Jan.

2014 145

2014 France Germany Indonesia 145

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2011

I will admit that there are legitimate concerns that have been raised about falconry – birds that are not native to an area sometimes escape and become feral; humans should minimize their influence on nature. This contribution to the education of our children is invaluable. And these are just a few of the arguments against falconry.

League Against Cruel Sports 270

League Against Cruel Sports Rabbits Falcons Hunting 270

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2014

Rock Dove, or Feral Pigeon, ( Columba livia ); Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, 2 January. PASSERIDAE (SPARROWS). House Sparrow ( Passer domesticus ); Wellington, New Zealand, 12 January. Tree Sparrow ( Passer montanus ); Lahad Datu, Borneo, 1 January. Whimbrel ( Numenis phaeopus ); Pasir Ris, Singapore, 11 January.

2014 150

2014 New Zealand Singapore Rhinoceros 150

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2013

Case in point: some of my family members have become active with feral cat colony organizations. On the one hand, it’s better than doing nothing with a feral cat colony. But I don’t agree with the supplemental feeding that happens with feral cats–if you’re gonna call them wildlife, treat them as such.

Feral Cats 226

Feral Cats Feral Cats Family 226